Village View Park, S. Main Avenue sidewalks slated for CDBG funding

Joe Naiman

Village News Reporter

Playground equipment for Village View Park and sidewalk construction along South Main Avenue are among the projects allocated 2022-23 Community Development Block Grant funding by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

The supervisors’ 5-0 vote April 5 approved the county's 2022-23 annual funding plan for Community Development Block Grant, HOME Investment Partnerships, Emergency Shelter Grant, and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS programs.

The allocations include $656,959 for Village View Park and $396,959 for Main Avenue sidewalks by Aviation Road.

Community Development Block Grant projects are intended to revitalize lower-income communities. The proposals were selected based on criteria which include benefit to lower-income residents, health and safety considerations, the ability to leverage block grant funds into additional revenue, and availability of alternate funding sources.

The allocations are based on 2022-23 entitlement figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which provides funding for the programs.

“The CDBG program serves communities by providing a funding source to address local housing and community development needs,” said David Estrella, the director of the county’s Department of Housing and Community Development Services.

The county also administers CDBG allocations for some incorporated cities. The total CDBG allocation for the unincorporated county is $1,833,167 including $352,290 for four regional projects considered to have a benefit to the unincorporated area. In addition to the two Fallbrook projects, the supervisors also allocated $426,659 for a sidewalk project in Ramona.

Although the projects will likely be exempt from California Environmental Quality Act review, the federal funding makes them subject to National Environmental Protection Act review which could include a finding of no significant impact. The allocations for the Fallbrook projects include $6,959 to each for environmental review.

The Village View Park funding will provide for an adventure play area and for interpretive signage in English, Spanish, and Luiseno. The census tract which includes Village View Park has a total population of 9,160 with 5,550 of those, or 61.60%, having low-income or moderate-income status. The Village View Park improvements are expected to be complete by June 2023.

The Main Avenue sidewalk construction will total 190 feet consisting of 140 feet on the north side of West Aviation Road and 50 feet on the south side of West Aviation Road. The project will also construct a ramp meeting Americans with Disabilities Act standards on the north side of Aviation Road.

The census tract for that area has a total population of 6,630 including 4,585, or 69.16%, who meet low-income or moderate-income standards. The sidewalk construction has a June 2023 completion estimate.

The list of alternative projects which were not selected for funding includes a $3,300,000 request to acquire approximately 4.7 acres to expand Don Dussault Park. A review of a funding request for Reche Road sidewalk improvements determined that such a project would be ineligible for CDBG funding.